Vote for Mary!

A response about stem cells and legalization of marijuana

My Bro-in-law asked some questions on my wife’s blog the other day. I’m going to try to answer some of these bit by bit as I have time.

Stem cell research is a hot button for sure. What about unused in vitro embryos? A great many would be destroyed anyway. Is that destruction as abhorrent to you as stem cell research? I’m kind of agnostic on the stem cell issue, so I’m not baiting you here, just curious (this goes for you, too, Jeff).

As a first point as I have learned more about in vitro the more I am against it. Simply because of the reason you state. Although, the extra embryos don’t have to be discarded. There have been successful adoptions of the “snowflake babies.” I feel that it is under utilized. I feel for people that want a baby, but I would much rather see children adopted than the use of in vitro. I put my feelings out about the stem cell issue in a previous post.

Next he asks,

“Also, you reference statistics that indicate increases in violent crime being linked to medicinal marijuana legalization. This doesn’t jive with my experiences living in one of the states that passed medicinal marijuana laws. I’d love to read your source, if you’ve got it handy.”

To be up front about the vote, I voted for the medical marijuana prop. One of the local politicians who was against it said that we can’t keep other drugs from being abused so we shouldn’t do it with this. I think that’s an awful answer. With that logic, we should get rid of most of our prescription drugs.

Mary said that she had a big post in response, but the post was lost in the transfer. She got her statistics the Michigan Family forum voter’s guide. I had to dig out the cached version to find the pdf. I have to say that one point is from anecdotal evidence. Which is that it leads to more crime. I saw an article from the LA Times prior to the election that would imply that, part of which was letting people grow their own, and when word gets out then people begin breaking into homes looking for it. To me that is anecdotal evidence, if the state regulates it strictly, then you just have to worry about prescription abuse. Here is one quote from the forum about “pot shops” in malls:

Proposal 1 allows one person to grow and provide marijuana for people “in an enclosed, locked facility.” Pot shops in strip malls are a reality in California and a dangerous possibility in Michigan under Proposal 1. There are more than 400 pot shops in Los Angeles. Where located, information shows a rise in serious crimes such as robberies, burglaries and aggravated assaults has followed.

That will have to be monitored and regulated by the legislature or by proposition. They were a little low on siting statistics to research, so I can’t vouch for the veracity of them.

But like I said, I voted for it, on the grounds that if it is a drug that helps and it can be regulated, then there shouldn’t be a block on the medicinal use.

I’ll try to do some more tomorrow. I have a couple more days off coming up.

Day-by-Day Cartoon from 11/15/2008

My Guilty pleasure starts soon!

Vote today!!!

I love elections!

The Canaries in the Mine

I get tired of the Cellphone is a health hazard meme. This article from the Amatuer Radio Relay League points out some great information.

Amateur Radio is more than 100 years old. At one time, hams were virtually the only people in the world exposed to RF signals. As time progressed and radio communications technology has been developed and proven — largely by radio amateurs — its use was made available to the masses and the number of RF signals in the air greatly increased. This has reached a zenith today, with a majority of people walking around with RF transmitters in the form of cellular telephones.

KATIE GRANJU NOTES a reporter …

I think the difference will be that the anger will be suppressed. I’m not sure that you will see the Obama equivalent to the Bush derangement Syndrome. Not to mention, I doubt you will see someone making movies about assassination fantasies from the right. Not that I care. I would prefer everyone in the middle.

From Instapundit

KATIE GRANJU NOTES a reporter at MSNBC covering for Obama. “I think McCain should find more meaningful things to talk about on the campaign trail. But to many Americans, the Ayers issue is not insignificant, and it’s not up to the reporter writing a supposedly straight news piece to take a point of view on the matter. I don’t see the biased reporting by the “liberal mainstream media” behind every tree that a lot of conservatives do, but I will call it when I do see it. And I see it here.”

I’m afraid that the way the media is covering for Obama is generating a lot of anger that will make it harder of Obama to govern if elected. Some may see this as a plus, but I see it as furthering the already excessive polarization in our society. I think the media tilt, and the ACORN controversy (which are connected, of course), will be for a lot of people on the right what the Florida recount was for a lot of people on the left.

Big Ticket Festival expanding to 3 days next year

I’m glad to see that the Big Ticket will go to 3 Days. We can’t go to Ichthus do to cost, so It’s great to have some of the rock groups come here.

GAYLORD — Organizers of Gaylord’s Big Ticket Festival are bumping the Christian rock event up from two to three days for 2009 and are again asking the city if they can use a vacant lot as a camping area for concert-goers.